Breathe
by Xennariel
Summary: Riza falls asleep while working late and has a nightmare. Unable to shake the panic and anxiety that came with the dream, she calls Roy and asks him to pick her up.


This is a prompt drabble request written for an anon on Tumblr.

" **Please come get me?" "Look at me. Just breathe, okay?"**

It should have been an easy night of simply finishing up some last minute paperwork. Mustang had a date that evening and had gone home early, the rest of the team leaving shortly after, and Hawkeye stayed to make sure Roy didn't fall too far behind on his work. Sometimes even _she_ thought she was too good to him.

Somewhere along the way though, Riza fell asleep at her desk and instead of a light, dreamless sleep, her mind was filled with nightmares of memories she'd prefer to keep buried.

Riza awoke with a start, breathing heavily, gripping her desk so tightly her knuckles turned white. She took a deep breath and stood. Paperwork could wait, she needed to get home so she could try to relax.

Hurrying out of headquarters, she walked at a brisk pace for a couple of blocks before she realized she wasn't going to be able to go much further on her own. She happened to be near a phone booth and she hurried to it, trying her best to keep her breathing steady. Her fingers shook as she punched in one of the two phone numbers she had become very familiar with after moving to Central and she fidgeted while she waited for someone to pick up, holding the phone tighter with each passing second.

"Hello?"

Madame Christmas' rough voice came through and Riza steeled herself so her voice would not sound as shaky as she felt.

"Hello Madame," Riza said in a pitch higher and more flighty than normal. "It's Elizabeth. Is Roy there?"

"Oh, Elizabeth! It's good to hear from you. Yes, Roy is here, I'll fetch him for you, dear."

The phone was silent for a minute while the Madame presumably went to find Roy. When Riza finally heard the click of the receiver on the other end followed by Roy's voice, she almost sighed in relief.

"Elizabeth? To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Well, I just left work and was walking home and just couldn't stop thinking about things…" The 'Elizabeth' act was suddenly too difficult to continue with and she couldn't keep her voice from dropping to just above a whisper, on the verge of breaking. "Please come get me?"

"I'll be there as soon as I can."

Roy was no longer acting either and hung up almost as soon as the words left his mouth. His 'date' for the evening had no arguments and asked no questions when he left in a rush. They all knew Elizabeth took precedence over everyone in his life, including himself.

The speeds at which Roy drove made him even more of a reckless driver than usual and it was a wonder he didn't get any tickets as he raced toward Central Headquarters.

Even as worried and distracted as he was, he caught sight of Riza standing near a phone booth out of the corner of his eye. He would always notice her anywhere. He screeched to a halt at the curb next to her, took a deep breath, and got out of the car, acting as if he just happened to pass her by on his way home, not wanting to draw attention to himself.

"Lieutenant! On your way home?"

The relief in Riza's eyes was obvious when she looked up at the sound of Roy's voice and despite the casual way he spoke to her, his concern was evident as he gazed back at her.

"Yes sir."

"Would you like a ride?"

His voice was quieter, gentler. Riza looked around quickly then nodded.

"Yes sir. Thank you."

The drive to her apartment was quiet and Roy stole glances at her every few minutes. Riza's expression never changed, dazed, distant, melancholy. He reached for her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, but she didn't move and Roy wondered if she had even realized he was holding her hand. Under any other circumstances she would have glared at him or scolded him for even such a minor intimate gesture in public.

Roy opened the door for her when they reached her building and had to nudge her in order to bring her out of whatever trance she had been in. She blinked at him and seemed to finally register where they were and stepped out of the car, nodding her thanks at the colonel, expecting him to leave as soon as she entered her building.

"If you think I'm just going to leave you..." Roy muttered so only she could hear. "Then you're absolutely mistaken."

Riza opened her mouth to protest, but found she didn't have the strength to argue. Sighing, she turned and entered her building, Roy following after her closely. He never once asked what was wrong, knowing she would tell him if she wanted him to know. Roy knew she was a private person and usually kept things to herself and he would never pressure her into talking about something that was obviously distressing her if she didn't want to. Riza allowed him into her apartment without a word, once she finally got her hands to remain steady enough to unlock her door.

As Roy removed his coat and went to hang it on the back of one of her dining chairs, he heard a thump behind him and whipped around to see Riza slumped on the floor, head down, breathing quick and shallow. Black Hayate was nuzzling her hand in his own effort to help his master, but the pup moved as soon as Roy sat next to Riza.

Roy pulled Riza into his lap and held her firmly, gently pushing her chin up, coaxing her to look at him.

"Look at me," he said softly and when she finally met his gaze he smiled, expression full of warmth and affection. "Just breathe, okay? Breathe with me."

Riza nodded slowly and attempted to calm herself, trying to focus on the dark eyes she so adored as Roy rubbed her back and pulled out her clip so he could run his hand through her hair. He held her tightly for a while, gently rocking back and forth until her breathing began to match his. Slowly she began to regain herself and she rested her head on his shoulder as he continued to embrace her. He always knew exactly how to help her and she always felt safe and warm in his arms. Tonight was no different and she snuggled closer to him. They sat like that for several more minutes before she finally pulled away.

"I think I'm okay, for now. Thank you."

Roy nodded and stood after she extracted herself from his lap.

"You know I'll always be here for you."

Riza smiled for the first time that night, though it didn't reach her eyes.

"I know."

"Why don't you get changed for bed and I'll make you some tea?"

Riza nodded and Roy brushed his hand over hers as he passed her to get to the kitchen. His gentle touches were definitely helping calm her and she was thankful he came for her when she called.

When Roy finished making tea, he brought it to her bed where he found she was changed into one of his old button up shirts. It was a comfort thing for her, he knew, and that knowledge always made his heart swell. That he could be such a comfort to her was flattering and he was more than happy to be a source of strength for her. He set the tea on the table next to her bed and helped prop her up with pillows and tuck her in. She gripped her teacup in both hands to keep it steady, still shaky enough that holding the cup in one hand would probably result in tea stains on her comforter.

"Thank you, sir," she said quietly, sipping the tea gratefully.

Roy took off his boots and crawled onto the bed beside her, leaving a lingering kiss on the side of her head.

"You're very welcome."

"I...I'm sorry about your date… I didn't want to bother you, but I didn't know what to do."

"Don't be silly, it's absolutely fine. I'd much rather spend the night with you, you know. Other matters can wait if you're in need."

Riza elbowed him in the side, intending to scold him, but a soft smile tugged at her lips instead and, this time, the happiness lit up her eyes. Roy grinned back at her and wrapped his arm around her, bringing her closer as she continued to sip her tea, a comfortable and warm silence filling the air around them.


End file.
